Standing at 6-foot-7, Portage Terriers goaltender Gavin McHale is literally head and shoulders above his competition and now he can say the same about his puck-stopping ability.

McHale, a 20-year-old from Winnipeg, has been selected by the 11 MJHL coaches as the 2007-08 top goaltender.

In 43 games this season, McHale has a 2.58 goals-against average, which is tied for best in the league with runner-up Alan Armour of the Selkirk Steelers. He leads the MJHL in wins with 27 and his 11 losses are the lowest among MJHL starting goaltenders. The former WHLer has a league-best .928 save percentage and is also among the six goaltenders that have a league-high two shutouts this season.

With McHale between the pipes, the Terriers finished first in the Sher-Wood Division this season with a 42-15-0-5 record.

In addition to Armour, Dauphin Kings goaltender Adrian Rubeniuk was also nominated for the award.

The award presentation will be made by commissioner Kim Davis prior to the Terriers meeting the Swan Valley Stampeders in Game 1 of their Sher-Wood Division semifinal series Friday night in Portage.

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